


Sense of Home

by wematch



Series: Stolen Moments [9]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 10:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13588350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wematch/pseuds/wematch
Summary: Andrew turns to glance at Neil but doesn’t say a word. Then he looks at his own arms and begins to take his armbands off too.





	Sense of Home

On the first day in their new apartment, Neil stops at the entrance to look at the side table Allison made him buy. He’s been thinking about what a home actually means to him ever since he rented his first apartment. It never really felt like home when Andrew was so far away, but now they’re finally living together, and the first thing that comes to Neil’s mind is that he’s safe here. He’s safe in a way that never felt possible a few years ago.

Neil decides to take his armbands off; he doesn’t need them in here. He feels Andrew stare at him as he places them on the side table. “From now on, these will stay here,” Neil explains, and starts to walk towards the kitchen, stopping when he notices that Andrew is still staring intensely at his armbands. “I don’t need to hide myself in here,” Neil adds quietly.

Andrew turns to glance at Neil but doesn’t say a word. Then he looks at his own arms and begins to take his armbands off too. When he places them next to Neil’s own, they both hear the sound of his knives touching the side table. Then Andrew turns his back, and walks into the kitchen, passing Neil as he does so.

Neil takes another glance at the side table, not quite believing what he just saw, and follows Andrew into the kitchen.

They cook side by side while Neil talks about the pizza place he noticed two blocks down. But on the back of his mind Neil keeps thinking of Andrew letting his armbands stay at the entry. It took them years for Andrew to feel comfortable to take them off near Neil for long periods of time. And now Andrew has just shown how much he trusts Neil by leaving them near the door.

“I decided to leave them at the entry because I feel safe here with you,” Neil says because he feels that he needs to say something about it, even if Andrew doesn’t want to discuss it further.

“375 percent,” Andrew says, “going on 376.”

Andrew’s tone indicates that he doesn’t want to talk about it for now so Neil drops the subject and tries something else. “I’ve been wondering…” Neil starts, “what happens when I reach 500?”

Neil notices the twitch in Andrew’s expression that indicates that he’s amused. Andrew stops stirring the pasta and slowly turns to look at him. He motions for Neil to step closer until there’s only few inches between them. Andrew grabs his neck and pulls him even closer to rest their foreheads together.

“I should have thrown you from the rooftop all those years ago.”

“I would have dragged you with me,” Neil reminds him, smiling when the memories of that day come back to him. The memories of Andrew giving him his key, of telling Andrew that he was tired of being nothing, and Andrew kissing him for the first time on the rooftop.

Andrew rolls his eyes and lets go of Neil. He turns his attention back to their dinner, and Neil lets himself himself stare at Andrew until a finger is pressed to his cheek and forces his head to turn and look in another direction.

“Go away,” Andrew tells him.

Neil decides to move and sit on the counter instead. Everything he needs is right here after all, and he has no plans on going anywhere else again.

 


End file.
